Vacuum cleaner



Dec. 7, 1943. R. A. PONSELLE ,3

.VACUUM CLEANER Original Filed July 27, 1940 YINV OR ATTORNEYS I v Patented Dec. 7, 1943 UNITED STAT ES PATENT OFFICE VACUUM CLEANER.

Robert A. Ponselie, New'York, N. Y.

3 Ciaims.

This invention relates to vacuum cleaners of the mobile type which include abag or filter within a housing and a motor-driven fan unit by. which a stream of air laden with dust, etc., is drawn into the housing. In such a cleaner, the air stream flows through a filter within thev housing and then through the fan to the atmosphere, and the present invention is concerned more particularly with a novel filtering device for use in a cleaner of the type described. The new device includes a bag of filtering material, a mounting therefor, which permits ready insertion and removal of the bag, and means for distending the bag supported in the mounting, so that it will function properly during the operation of the cleaner;

The bag employed in the new filtering device is made of any suitable material, such as a textile. fabric, and is provided with a stiffening ring around its open end. An annular support is provided within the cleaner housing and when the bag is to be mounted in position, it is passed through the support and the stilfening ring snapped into place in the support. The bag is held distended by a frame lying within it, and

the frame engages the lower end of the bag only and over a small area, so that the use of the frame does not block passage of the air stream through the bag to any substantial extent.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a View, partly in elevation and partly in section, through a cleaner equipped with the new filtering device;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectionalview showing the manner in which the filter bag is supported in place;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of a detail of the frame mounting; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the frame.

In the drawing, the vacuum cleaner illustrated is of the construction disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 348,142. filed July 27, 1940, of which the present application is a di-' Vision. It is to be understood, however, that the new filtering device may advantageously be employed with vacuum cleaners of other constructions, if desired.

The cleaner shown includes a rolling carriage, generally designated H), on which rests a housing 5 i forming part of the cleaner and serving as a container for dirt, etc., picked up by the action of the cleaner.- Mounted on the top of the housing is an adapter l2, the upper end of which. is closed by a cover, generally designated I3. A motor-driven fanunit is. suspended from the cover and the unit includes a. casing I4. enclosing one or more fans and a motor l5 secured to the lower end of the casing and driving the fan.

The cover l3 rests upon a gasket l6 lying on. the upper end of the adapter, the gasket being made of any suitable material, such as rubber. An annular support I! is embedded in the inner face of the gasket and the support, which is preferably made of metal, is of generally S-section and has alower free end in the form of an internal flange extending toward the center of the gasket.

The filter bag 3' extends downward from the support below: the lower end of the motor l5 and is provided with a stiffening ring l 8' around its open end; the ring, which is preferably of wire,

' being. enclosed within a hem of the bag material.

In mounting the bag in place, it is inserted through the support and the ring I9 forced down past the convex surface l'la of the support. This downward movement of the ring causes temporary distortion of the support and when the ring has passed the convex surface, the support resumes its normal condition with the flange thereof underlying the ring and the convex surface I'Ia overhanging the ring. The ring may be inserted in place in the support with a snap action and, when once in place, cannot be accidentally dislodged.

The bag is held in distended position by a frame of the construction illustrated in Fig. 4. The frame, which is preferably made of wire with the elements thereof welded together, includes an upper ring 20 from which bars 2| extend downwardly and slightly outwardly. The lower ends of the bars are connected by a ring 22 and the frame is mounted in place within the cleaner in such position that the lower ring 22 engages the inner surface of the bag and holds its side and lower end walls taut. In the construction shown, the frame is mounted on the lower end of the fan casing l4 and, for this purpose, a number of clamps 23 are employed, each clamp being secured to the casing M by a screw and having a portion underlying the ring 20.

V A stream of dust-laden air is drawn into the interior of the housing If through a flexible tube 24 having a tool (not shown) at its end, and the air stream then enters a device, generally designated 25, by which the velocity 01' the stream is reduced, so that the heavier particles of dirt, etc. drop down to the bottom of the housing. The

air stream then flows upward through th filter bag, which catches the lighter particles of dust, and the air enters the motor casing and flows through the fan and thence out through the outlet 26. With this arrangement, the largest volume of air would flow through the bottom of the bag into the motor casing and this might cause upward distension of the bottom of the bag to such an extent that the bag might block the entrance into the casing. To avoid any difiiculty that might arise from that source, a disc 21 of a suitable stiff material, such as fibre, is secured to the bottom of the bag in position to underlie the air intake into the motor casing and this insures that the central area of the bottom of the bag will not be stretched upwardly.

When the bag requires cleaning, the cover of the cleaner is unclamped from the adapter and lifted up, carrying the motor and fan unit and the frame with it. The bag can then be shaken to free the dirt, which has collected on its outer surface, or, if desired, the bag can be removed by removal of the stiifening ring from the support l1. With the bag in place on the support, the lowering of the cover carrying the motor, fan, and frame causes the frame to engage the interior of the bag and stretch it to the condition illustrated.

I claim 1. In a vacuum cleaner which includes a container, the combination of a cover for the container, a motor-driven fan unit suspended from the cover, an annular support within the container, a bag having its open end mounted in the support, the bag extending downwardly and enclosing at least a portion of the fan unit, an upper rin attached to the fan unit, a lower ring of larger diameter than the upper ring engaging the inner wall of the lower end of the bag and holding the bag distended and out of contact with the fan unit, and a plurality of rods connecting the upper and lower rings.

2. In a vacuum cleaner which includes a container, the combination of a cover for the container, a motor-driven fan unit suspended from the cover, an annular support within the container, a bag having its open end mounted in the support, the bag extending downwardly therefrom and enclosing at least a portion of the fan unit, a stifi plate secured to the lower end of the bag, an upper ring attached to the fan unit, a lower ring of larger diameter than the upper ring engaging the inner wall of the lower end Of the bag outward from the stiffening plate and holding the bag distended and out of contact with the fan unit, and a plurality of rods connecting the upper and lower rings.

3. In a vacuum cleaner which includes a container having an opening, the combination of an annular support resting on the edge of said opening, said support being of reversely curved section and having an upper flange overlyin the edge of said opening, an inwardly convex portion connected to the inner edge of said upper flange, and a lower flange extending inwardly toward the center of the support and connected to the lower edge of said convex portion, a bag extending through the support and having its open end resting on the inner face of the lower flange, and a stiff ring clamping said end of the bag against the inner face of said support below the convex portion thereof, the inner diameter of said convex portion of the support being slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the stiii ring, whereby the stiff ring may be unseated to release the bag only by distortion.

ROBERT A. PONSELLE. 

